The Commission later found the technology existed at the time of the merger and that Facebook staff were aware of such a possibility.

It is the first time a company has been fined by the commission for providing misleading or incorrect information since the 2004 Merger Regulation.

In August 2016, WhatsApp announced updates to its terms of service and privacy policy, including the possibility of linking WhatsApp users’ phone numbers with Facebook users’ identities (Photo by Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition policy, said: ‘Today’s decision sends a clear signal to companies that they must comply with all aspects of EU merger rules, including the obligation to provide correct information.

‘And it imposes a proportionate and deterrent fine on Facebook. The Commission must be able to take decisions about mergers’ effects on competition in full knowledge of accurate facts.’

When a company has been found to provide incorrect or misleading information, whether intentionally or negligently, the commission can impose a fine of up to 1 per cent of the organisations aggregated turnover.